Rizzo faces 53 counts; Bell was 'corruption on steroids,' D.A. Cooley says [Updated]

Los Angeles County Dist. Atty. Steve Cooley filed charges against eight current and former Bell officials Tuesday, alleging that they misappropriated $5.5 million in public funds. Robert Rizzo, Bell's former city manager, has been charged with 53 counts of misappropriation of public funds and conflict of interest.

The charges come after a dramatic morning in which authorities swept through Bell and other cities, arresting former and current Bell officials.

Among those arrested were Rizzo; Angela Spaccia, former assistant city manager; Mayor Oscar Hernandez; councilmembers George Mirabal, Teresa Jacobo and Luis Artiga; and former councilmembers George Cole and Victor Bello.

"This is corruption on steroids," Cooley said. 

[Updated at 11:28 a.m.: Cooley said officials used the city's tax dollars "as their own piggy bank that they then looted at will."

He said that councilmembers, who earned salaries of nearly $100,000, received $1.2 million for "phantom meetings" -- many which never occurred or lasted only a minute or two.  

Police Chief Randy Adams, who also stepped down after The Times reported he was earning $457,000, was not arrested.

"Being paid excessive amounts is not a crime," Cooley said, noting that the investigation is ongoing.

Bail for Rizzo has been set at $3.2 million. Bail for the others ranges from $130,000 to $377,500.]

Rizzo, whose high salary sparked the outrage that led to the investigations of the city, was among those arrested in the sweep. At 10 a.m., officials emerged from Rizzo's luxury home in Huntington Beach. Rizzo, handcuffed, was escorted into a black SUV. 

In Bell, a neighbor of Hernandez said authorities used a battering ram on his front door after he failed to answer the door.

"They broke the door down," said the neighbor, who only gave his name as Jose. "They knocked down the door and they brought him out in cuffs."

The city of Bell released a statement about the arrests, calling it a "sad day" for the city.

“Given the sheer volume of charges levied against former Bell Chief Administrative Officer Robert Rizzo and former Assistant CAO Angela Spaccia by the district attorney, it is clear that Rizzo and Spaccia were at the root of the cancer that has afflicted the City of Bell. Also, it is a sad day for Bell that four current and two former members of the council also have been arrested. I am prepared to double down our efforts to continue to restore order, establish good government reforms, and to ensure that Bell is providing needed services to its residents,” said Pedro Carrillo, interim city manager.

Outside City Hall, about two dozen residents gathered as news of the arrests spread. One man used a bullhorn to broadcast the Queen song, "Another One Bites the Dust." Members of the crowd laughed and applauded, happy to see arrests in the scandal.

For two months, the Los Angeles County district attorney's office and state and federal authorities have investigated Bell, where high salaries earned by Rizzo and other top officials have sparked widespread outrage. The Times reported last month that Rizzo was set to earn more than $1.5 million in 2010. Additionally, he gave loans totaling $1.6 million to more than 50 city officials, including himself.

-- Jack Leonard, Jeff Gottlieb, Ruben Vives and Richard Winton

Credit: Los Angeles County Dist. Atty. Steve Cooley announces the arrests of eight current and former Bell city officials. Credit: Bob Chamberlin / Los Angeles Times

Photos: Arrests in Bell

Comments

[Los Angeles Cititizen]

It seems to me that if the city is going to be honest about anything, then lets start by investigating the D.A., the Mayor, and all public elected officials and city managers. Not just some idiots from an insignificant little city.

[LizinSarasota]

Hooray! Hooray for Californians doing the right thing! Good job!

[willb3]

All you people making negative comments about so many Mexicans in this case. The Italian Rizzo was the ring leader, seems to me, he paid them to keep quite. These crimes could have not taken place without the ring leader.

[Cyn]

I don't think those are booking photos. I think those are California ID photos taken at the DMV.

[XM]

Hal, how many businesses in the private sector (minus the politically connected wall street) can suck the money out of tax payer's pockets and pay their employees whatever amount they please?

Businesses can only turn a profit when consumers volunatrily pay to use their product or services. If you randomly raise prices on consumers or offer mediocrity, they can actually go out of business. They actually have to downsize or layoff workers to stay alive. All of that is the antithesis of how government works.

[JP Patches]

The arrests are indeed good news, but I can't help but think that those same Bell residents applauding, should also accept a share of the blame. This could not happen to a community with an involved public, vigilant and active in their local government.

[Brian]

Anybody else see good ole' Mr. Rizzo's striking resemblance to Jabba the Hut? Just sayin...

[Vet1]

Darn ! Just when Jerry "No Mas Moonbeam" Brown starts making political hay, Cooley burns down the barn. Good job, Cooley.

[werterrific]

I hope that Cooley has the sense to arrest his long time friend Chief Adams, if it is warranted. But, it would beyond belief that Chief Adams did not know what was going on. It would like Lee Baca (sheriff) not knowing he released Paris Hilton and saying he didn't know. Oh! That's right Baca did know, sorry.

[Matthew Barley]

Congratulations to The Los Angeles for uncovering these sick greedy little people. Yuk! It's seems that everywhere the citizens are such an inconvenience to an unresponsive political class.

[anton]

Finally some goods news for the City of Bell. I hope these crooks don't continue to use the system and lawyer-up in order to escape justice. Shame on those city officials.

[Don't be fooled]

This ain't over.

Both Adams and Lee are cooperating.

They'll be a few more arrests coming.

As for Mexico being a 3rd world country, well, let's just say they're our biggest trading partner.

And the US imports more oil from Mexico than any middle eastern country.

Dont' tempt people. They might turn off the faucet and you'll be lining up for the welfare policies you claim to despise.

And, you're wrong, Milken was corrupt, Kenneth Lay was corrupt, Goldman Sachs was corrupt, Madoff was corrupt.

These latinos are playing with pennies compared to the white boys.

And don't start with terrorism, because McVeigh was about as white as you can get.

Stop watching TV!

[bobo]

come on jerry brown. if you want my vote, bring randy adams into this. cooley does not have the huevos. lets see you stand up !

[christina]

Rizzo --

Doesn't he resemble the villain Fat Bastard from the Austin Power movies ?

[Tina]

@BingDoty, your racist asides are unwarranted.

[Luizito]

Wow...what about the corrupt cop ? He gets a free pass ?

[Mgruff]

The police chief Randy Adams conspired with the city and as part of his hiring had an agreement with the city to support a disability claim when he left bell. Isn't that in itself illegal? Isn't being told about an illegal impound policy for vehicles in bell as well as a quota for it illegal? Adams was hated by the rank and file at glendale pd. There were 2 sets of rules there,the rules that applied to the rank and file and those same rules that didn't apply to Randy Adams .

[George]

Of course the over paid cop doesn't get arrested, what a joke! I guess it's alright for cops and firemen to rob the people blind

[George]

""Being paid excessive amounts is not a crime," Cooley said, "

Tell that to the people they are robbing blind! It's not alright for government workers who hire their buddies to get away with robbing our kids and grand kids. Cops and Firemen making 150k or more is nothing but robbing the rest of us. Wake up people!

[sammy fish]

Randy Adams wasn't prosecuted because (1) it's not a crime to get a ridiculous salary--it is wrong, but not all wrongs are crimes; (2) the charges are against people whose position puts them in charge of the money stream, and a police chief isn't in the same position. That's why he isn't charged. That's pretty much what Cooley said, and none of the legal "talking heads" are challenging that, which should tell you something.

If you don't like the law, get your legislators to change it, but until it's changed, Cooley can only prosecute what the law defines as criminal.

[Miki Jackson]

DA Cooley finds ample cause to arrest the thieves of Bell for misapropriation of public funds and get a nice picture on the news to boot. Yet he said no jurisdiction when citizen's armed with hundreds of documents proving at least $7 million in public funds were misapropriated in the conversion of the historic Van de Kamps building from a Community College facility to a tenant based enterprise he claims he has no jurisdiction over these misapropriations. Who knew potential publicity determined legal jurisdiction.

[Miki Jackson]

Brown claimed there was no budget to enforce the law against the abuse of public funds when presented with many documents showing abuse of taxpayer funds by the L.A. Community College District at the historic Van de Kamps site of what was to have been a Community College facility. Numerous pointless investigations into headline grabbing movie star deaths and now rushing to the answer the "Bell" of publicity he and Cooley have suddenly found the budget and the "jurisdiction" to go after the headlines...er crooks.

[Jules Manson]

This is what happens with unchecked illegal immigration and sanctuary cities are allowed to evolve. No government or its officials actually cares about their constituents. The reason for patriotism (a form of propaganda), religion (t00ls to train the mind into accepting false claims), failing education (keeping people ignorant), permitted immigration of peasants, and other forms of underhanded indoctrination and covert means is to create an ignorant and passive society who has lost its free will. This results in harnessing blind unquestioned loyalty from easily herded simple minded sheep.

The State of California is controlled by the public sector unions. This is why both houses of the state of California have a Democrat majority. This is no different than how the federal government is controlled by the bank cartels (the banking corporatocracy).

Some of the tenets of Democrats is open borders immigration, amnesty, higher taxes, covert conversion of tax money, labor (do not be fooled this only about public sector unions), excessive control over business, and it just goes on and on and on. So what does this have to do with Bell? The City of Bell is just a miniature California. The exact same thing is happening to California state government - Sacramento. And, no one is noticing it.

The hypocrisy of our state elected leaders is astounding. The ignorance of its citizens is even more astounding. And, once again most of you will again vote in a majority of Democrats in November.

By the way I am an American citizen who immigrated here with a passport and permanent visa. I am college educated and a mechanical engineer. I will also be running for city council in March of 2011. And, I am atheist and I am a member of the Libertarian Party.

[Melinda]

The city had to be audited by a CPA firm annually. Which firm performed the audits? I find it really difficult to believe the stuff Chaing found was never found by the CPA firm.

Waiting to hear the take on this from the California Society of CPAs. Looks like they need to do a peer review on this as quickly as possible.